David Staff

Sunday 27/11/05

David Staff memorial fell race - 5miles / 290mtrs
15th place - 38mins 52secs

What better way for Dad to celebrate the morning of his 70th birthday than to drive me to Darwen to run a fell race. What a gent. Unexpected snow on top, my arms were frozen stiff in my wee singlet. Al Ward was grumbling about 'a lack of fell', but is that something to do with finishing second? Ali was hungover and Phil had the usual lack of training/I've been injured/wrong shoes excuses yet still cruised passed me like I was standing still.
Results
Darwen Dashers

Wesham 10k

Saturday 26/11/05

Wesham 10km road race - 6.21 miles in old money - with a couple of feet of ascent.
25th place - 37mins 24secs.
A time which means my speed was 6 minutes and 1 second per mile - aarrgghh!

Tried another road race today for some daft reason.
Despite not getting under 6 minute miling, for which I solely blame a headwind in the last mile ;-), I will admit to enjoying this race, in a perverse way. T'would appear that there is only one way to run 10k and that is with yer tongue hanging out from the gun. A bit different to a 17 mile fell race. Not as scenic as Derwentwater 10, in fact not scenic at all, but I grew up riding my bmx around those roads so it was fun to go back and race there.
Results

Pictures by me Dad who was marshalling.

Howgills

Sunday 20/11/05

Sunday run in the Howgills - 3 hours / 1220 mtrs

Recovery run after Pendle / FRA lash up with a jaunt round the Howgills from Sedbergh.
We ended up doing a good chunk of next years champs race, that's my 4th time round it this year.
Twas a bit misty and bracing, but we had a good chinwag and sweated out the beer.

FRA Dinner

Saturday 19th Novemeber 2005

Guested on the Dark Peak table at the FRA dinner, which got Pete Bland in a right flap.
We all got drunk and jumped around and Rob Jebb showed off his skeletor-like physique.

Tour of Pendle

Saturday 19/11/05

Tour of Pendle race - 17miles / 1420mtrs
16th place - 2hrs 40mins 38secs

RHB (section 36) - Pendle hill 557mtrs
Results

Photos by my Dad

Helvellyn / Seat Sandal

Thursday 17/11/05

Bagged another Marilyn today when I added Seat Sandal (736mtrs) to the end of the Helvellyn ridge.
Started from the car park at Swirls and took the tourist route up Helvellyn and along the Ridge to Dollywagon.
Dropped straight down there to the west end of Grisedale tarn and had plenty of time and sunshine to go up Seat Sandal.
Went down Raise Beck, passing three of the Blands with their sheepdogs on the way up (nearly fell on my arse on ice as I passed Gavin!).
Weather was absolutely unbelievable, which made up for wasting a similar day yesterday on the motorway to Wilmslow.
Had to hold myself back from adding in Fairfield and St Sunday too, saving myself for the rigours of Pendle Hill's Big End.

Police XC Two

Wednesday 16/11/05

Northern Police cross country league - 6miles / 60 mtrs
9th place - 39mins 20secs

Flew the flag for Crumbling Constabulary, being the only Cumbrian male to make the trip.
Another easy win for Malcolm Fowler, to be expected really, as he devised the course.
3 laps of a figure 8 with some reasonably twisty and steep bits, but a lot of fast flat bits too.
Not quite as tedious as the Cumbrian fixture, but still not hilly enough for this author.

Old Crown Round

Wednesday 09/11/05

Old Crown Round - approx 15 miles / 1730 mtrs
4hrs 26mins

An intrepid group from CFR completed the Old Crown Round starting from the road head at Swineside, Mosedale.
The route starts up Carrock Fell (661m).
A tricky bit of navigation trying to stay high, leads through bogs between Lingy, Knott and Great Sca Fell to the second hill, which is Great Cockup (526m).
Height loss is now unavoidable to make any kind of direct route over Dash Beck to get to Skiddaw summit (931m).
From Skiddaw we went past Skiddaw House and over Roughten Gill to take a steep climb to the top of Blencathra (868m).
Then a blast down following some of the Blencathra race route to pick up the Cumbria Way and finish.
The crack is that if you go to the pub afterwards, they'll give you a certificate and there is even rumour of a free pint.
Alas, the pub was shut for the afternoon when we got there.
The route was devised after names chosen by the Hesket Newmarket brewery for their home brewed beers.
Hesket Brewery
Beer guide

Derwentwater 10

Sunday 06/11/05

Derwentwater 10 road race - 10miles / 180mtrs
46th place - 63mins 54secs

Whilst being 3 minutes 21 seconds slower than my best for this, I was quite happy with it seeing as I felt shite at Dunnerdale and rehydrated (dehydrated?) on Jennings in the Three Shires the night before. There is going to have to be some pain on the track somewhere and up the hills of Penrith if I'm to go under three at London, though.
Met the winner after the race, he is a little big headed but not quite the 'wanker' that Steve Bottomley accused him of being. Worst you could have heckled with would have been 'pot hunter'. He was harping on about doing Borrowdale next year and hoping that Simon Booth would show him the course beforehand. I'm afraid that isn't how it works, you'll need to suss it yourself mate.
2005 Results

Dunnerdale

Saturday 05/11/05

Dunnerdale fell race - 5miles / 510mtrs
55th place - 50mins 39secs

Started off like a startled rabbit but soon ran out of puff.
Exactly two minutes slower than last year which says it all really.
The course was quite challenging as it resembled a stream bed for the most part.
I only managed to rally close the the end when in a fit of chauvinism (I am ashamed) I became quite keen to hold off Sharon Taylor. This wasn't helped when Sharon declared 'I won't catch Jackie Lee, she's a better descender than me'.
A sudden burst on the road at the finish passing a couple more suddenly reminded me that I had 10 miles of wet hilly road to do tomorrow.
No pictures of the race, so here's some crap attempts to photograph fireworks at Little Langdale. See if you can spot all the unused ones in a pile by the wall where they were being set off from. Nice one Chris and Mike!
Results